Zuko walked with Sokka and Suki through the halls of Four Elements High School, and he was miserable.

"What does the cabbage salesmen use to fix his cabbages?" Sokka asked, with the biggest grin on his face.

"A cabbage patch?" Suki guessed.

"What? How did you know." Then they started laughing for no apparent reason. They had definitely missed each other's company over the last few months, but neither of them had confessed their feelings. Suki waved goodbye to them and went to her next class.

"Sokka, I need to know what's going on with you today." Katara ran up to them.

"What do you mean"

"We're seeing Toph's parents tonight, and I can't have you getting distracted."

"Distracted by who?"

"I think you know who. Look, everyone knows you like Suki, so you need to confess."

"Well I- I- Not everyone knows," Sokka stuttered.

"Yes. Everyone knows," Zuko confirmed, "It's pretty obvious."

"Hey Katara!" Aang came up to them, "I found this flower in Guru Pathik's garden and I thought I'd give it you."

"Aang, this is beautiful," she blushed and tucked the flower in her hair.

"They're pretty obvious too," Zuko muttered.

"Make sure you're dressing in semi formal attire for tonight," Toph said, joining them. The five of them looked at her confusedly.

"Just look it up on the internet," Toph said with a frown.

~~~

As Aang walked up to the huge iron gate, he wondered if he had made it to the right address. It was dark, so he couldn't see beyond the gate, but there was an intimidating looking guard standing at the front.

"Is this the Beifong estate?" he asked timidly.

"Aang!" Katara and Sokka came up to him.

"Hey Katara! Hey Sokka!" he saw Katara in a ruffled sky blue dress, "Katara, you look really nice."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Hey guys!" Suki ran up to them, with Zuko close behind. She was surprisingly agile in her sleeveless green dress. The guard at the gate looked at all of them judgingly.

"Welcome to the Beifong estate. Follow me please," he said tiredly, as if he would fall asleep at any moment. The five of them glanced at each other before following him. Beyond the gate were what seemed like acres and acres of gardens. Even though it was winter, they were still beautiful. Lampposts lit their way, glowing with a soft yellow light. Stone statues sat eerily throughout the gardens, glaring ominously at them. A babbling brook weaved its way down the path. Suki gracefully jumped over the stream. Sokka tried to follow suit, but ended up tripping.

"Are you ok!?" Suki was barely able to catch him. There faces were inches away from each other.

"I'm fine. Thanks."

"You guys have to be more careful," Katara quickly walked towards them, saw that Sokka's shoes had gotten wet, and waterbended them dry, "We need to be on our best behavior."

~~~

Katara saw Toph cringe as she and her friends came up the path towards the house.

"What are you doing," Toph whispered harshly, "Zuko, I said semi formal, not black tie, and what is going on with your hair."

"It was my uncle," Zuko protested, "It took him ten minutes to do my hair." Toph ignored him.

"Aang, give me your hat." Aang took off his hat and Toph tucked it into the pocket of her green coat, "The rest of you should be fine. Remember your manners. Let's go." She led them through the courtyard and into the sun room, where she instructed them to take off their coats. Katara had never seen Toph in anything fancy, and she looked very uncomfortable in her white and green dress. From the sun room, they were led down the hall, and into a large dining room with high ceilings. Toph's parents sat on the ends of the long table.

"Welcome to our humble home," said her mother, "there are name tags on your seat for where you should sit." Katara found her seat next to Aang, and smiled when she saw that Suki and Sokka had been placed next to each other.

"So, you're the avatar," said Toph's father in a skeptical manner after the first course had been served.

"That's me!" said Aang,"I mean- Yes sir, that would be me."

"Hmm, give me a demonstration." Aang laughed nervously and created a small whirlwind of air in his palm.

"Yes, yes, you can airbend," said Toph's mother, "What about the other elements." Aang bent the water from his cup and made it dance around the room.

"Ugh, so unsantitary."

"What does it take to impress these people?" Katara whispered to him. She noticed that Sokka had started his meal before everyone else. Don't eat yet, she mouthed, but he wasn't listening.

"Show me some earthbending," said Toph's father commanded. Katara watched as Aang squinted in concentration before bending some of the rocks in a decorative flower pot into the shape of a flying boar. Zuko clapped enthusiastically before Toph signaled for him to stop.

"Are you going to firebend?" asked Toph's father, completely ignoring the display.

"I haven't learned that yet, but I'm starting in a few weeks." It was at that moment that things went to hell. Katara saw Sokka and Suki whispering quietly, before they suddenly erupted into laughter.

"Shhh," Zuko said, turning his head towards them.

"Hey! I know you," said Toph's father, "You're Ozai's son. You're father is a big rival of mine, and I don't care to have you in my house!"

"More waterbending anyone," Aang said anxiously, "I can reenact Romeo and Juliet. The soup will be the Montagues, the juice will be the Capulets-"

"I've seen enough," said Toph's father, "I suggest you all leave. Toph, I don't know how you came to be friends with these... vagabonds, but I am in no way supporting it." Toph stood up silently, and led them out into the sun room to get their coats.

"Sorry guys," she said.

"It's ok, Toph," said Katara, "We'll find the money some other way." Katara glanced behind her, and saw Sokka and Suki standing close together. She walked towards him.

"You should tell her," she whispered in his ear.

"What?!" he whispered back.

"Just... don't let tonight be a total waste."

~~~

"Suki, I need to talk to you!" Sokka said when they were walking through the botanical gardens. The others were farther ahead, and it was just the two of them.

"Right now?" she asked.

"Yes, and I should have talked to you a long time ago," they were near the babbling brook, and the lampposts were casting a warm glow around them, "remember when I told you that Yue had taught me something important."

"Yes..."

"Well, it's that..." Sokka took a deep breath, "I'm in love with you, Suki. I always have been, and I am so, so, sorry that it took me so long to realize that, and if there's any chance you feel the same way-"

"Stop."

"What?" Suki leaned up and kissed him. Sokka's eyes widened, then he closed them and leaned into the kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity, and it felt... right.

"You don't always need to explain yourself," Suki said softly, "Sokka, I feel the same way, and I missed you so much while I was away." She kissed him again, and he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. It was here that the pieces all seemed to click into place. At the Beifong estate, next to a gently flowing stream, under the warm, golden glow of the lights.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter 😏

Thanks for Reading!